isaacson



1,661,042 w. o. ISAACSON NAIL Filed Jan. 31, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l n I yFeb. 28, 1928. 1.661.042

W. O. ISAACSON NAIL Filed $11. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet Feb. 28, 19281,661,042

w. o. ISAACSON NAIL Filed Jan. 31, 1927 a 521w K n- 1116: 1 1

Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

ENETEQ S'E ATES 1,661,042 PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAE O. ISAACSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

NAIL.

Application flied Jan-aerial, 1927. Serial No. 164,790.

enough so as not to chip or disintegrate upon being struck a blow with ahammer or the like. Other objects will be in part bvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combination ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts "whichwill be exem )lified in the structure hereinafter describe and the sec eof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated a preferred formof nail, and apparatus for treating it.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the apparatus, certain parts being shownin section;

2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3U; P lg.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken. on line 4"4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain feeder dogs and Fig.6 is an enlarged cross-section or the improved nail, showing structuraldeta ls.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig.

1 there illustrated at numeral 1 a mom able retortwhich is rotatablymounted on suitable rollers 3. This retort or furnace is adapted to beheated by gas or other means 4 as the retort rotates.

' "The retort I normally carries therein a quantitsof nails 5. Thesenails are formed of or less malleable material such as out wire or thelike. They may in fact be forms-d of any malleable material such maysubjected to hardening by quenching.

The quantity of nails 5 rests against a wall 2 at the lowerend of theretort, in

wh ch wall 7 are formed apertures 9 through which said nails 5 sift asthe retort rotates. The na ls sift through the a ertures 9 while saidnails are in their heute condition.

Below the lower open mouth not the retort 1 is positioned a closure 13.This closure maintained in alignment by means of suitable guide legstelescoping the retort and is adapted to be adjusted by means of a handwheel 17 screwed to a supporting stem 19 held to said wall 7. Thepurpose of the adjustable closure 13 is to maintain a suitable annularopening 21 at the lower end of the retort l. As is evident the opening21 may be adjusted so that a suitable quantity of heated nails will droptherfrom as the retort rotates.

' Below the mouth of the retort or furnace supporting framework 23' uponwhich is mounted a cooling trough or basin 25 of a more or lesselongated shape, one end of which is juxtaposed near the lower end ofsaid retort 1. This trough or basin 25 is provided at one end with aninlet 27 for supplying cooling water or oil or analogous fluidi- At itsother end the basin 25 is provided with an overflow edge 29 from whichleads a gradually sloping bottom 31 which joins with the flat bottom330i the trough proper. The cool quenching liquid flows into the trough25 from the inlet 27 and flows out of the trough 25 at the overflow edge29, whereby a liquid level 35 is maintained in said trough 25.

Located at the upper portion of the trough 25, just. above the liquidlevel 35 are '0- cated a plurality of longitudinally arranged wires 37.These wires 37 are suspended in trolley fashion by means of suitablestiff hangers 39 (see Fig. 3). .The hangers 39 are joined to suitablecross arms 41 located at desirable intervals and joined to the sides ofsaid trough 25. The wires 37 are of more or less stiff constructionandare spaced apart a distance suitable for supporting a nail by its headwhile the shank thereogf depends loosely between two of the wires.

At the righthand end of the trough 25 the wires 37 are soldered directlyto the end 43. while at the left-hand end the wire ends 45 extend ashort distance to the end of the rough and thereby form opemendedguides. At said right-hand end of the trough 25,

each wire asses through one forkedelement 47 of a sha er grid 49. Theforked elements 47 are moved relatively tothe wires in a manner to bemade clear.

The shaker rid 49 comprises said pluralit of forked e ements 47,alternate elements of which have different elevations (see Fig. 2). Theupper edges of the alternate elements have notches 51 cut therein instag gered relationship. The purpose of the grid 49 is to receive heatednails from the retort 1 and to shake them down and guide them in suchamanner that the nails will take suspended positions between the wires37. The different elevations of alternate elements 47 and the staggerednotches 51 result in the nails being caught in postion such that they donot tend to remain lying across any two elements (see Fig. 4).

The forked portions 53 of the elements 47 not only form passages for thewires as described but also form sloping tracks 59 which support theheads 61 of the nails and permit them to slide down on to the wires 37(see Fig. 4). The elements 47 are assembled within a hopper shapedportion 63 which is slidably mounted over the trough 25. The slidablemounting comprises slides 65 moving on uides 67 associated with thetrough (see i 2).

The sha r rid 49, including its hopper 63 is thus mova le with respectto the trough 25 and the wires 37. It is joined by means of connectinglinks 73 to slider members 69 o crating on guides 71 at the opposite end0? the trough 25. The links 73 carry cross pins 75 which in turnrotatably support feeder dogs 76. The dogs on each pin 75 arejuxtaposedand extend cnd-to-end across the trough 25. Each dog 76-is provided atits lower end with sideward notches 77 which are adapted. to engage thewires 37. Between each pair of notches 77 is left a. tongue 79 adaptedto engage behind the nail heads and to push the nails to the left whnthepins 75 are reciprocated.

A reciprocating action is given to the framework including tlie grid 49,the trough 63, the connecting links 73 and the dogs 6 y means of a motordrive 81 geared to a jack shaft 83. The shaft'83 carries suitable cranks85 from which thc said system is reciprocated by means of connectingrods 87.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The motor drive 81 is turned on, whereby the trough 63, grid 49, links73, pin 75, and dogs 76 are reciprocated. A charge of nails is put intotheretort land heated therein as the retort rotates. The mouth 21 of theretort may be closed during the first stage of the heating operation;The nails are brou ht up to a suitable temperature from whic they areadapted to be quenched for hardening purposes. A relatively coolquenching liquid is circulated through the trough 25 from the inlet 27.Temperatures that have been found satisfactory are about 1550 F. for theinitial'temperature of the retort; then after inserting a charge ofnails about 1600 for about 45.minutes; then (if carbonizing is desired)about 1600 for about. 45 minutes in the resence of a carbonizin medium;then coo ing to about 1500; then the nails are discharged from theretort.

, When the nails have been properly heated for the proper time, thecover 13 is retracted so that the opening 21 is formed at the lower endof the retort 1. This permits nails to be dropped on the shaking orreciprocating grid 49. The staggered relationshi s between the elements47 and the notcies 51 cause the nails to positively descend so that theydepend b their heads from the slopin guides 59. Tie hopper 63 ensuresthat al of the nails enter the grid 49.

The shaking or reciprocating action of the grid 49 results in the nailspassing down to the wires 37 betweenwhich they become suspended b theirheads 61, the shanks S, dependmg rom the wires and being positioned inthe liquid carried by the trough 25. The positioning of the shanks insaid quenching liquid results in the shanks of the nails being'hardonedby the quenching, while the heads, which are not in the liquid but onthe wires are cooled more slowly and therefore become more malleablethan the shanks. The shanks are hardened to such a. degree that theywill'penetrate concrete, tile, stone and the like directly. During thecooling, heat flows from the heads to the shank thereby cooling theheads faster than would occur in ordinary 'air cooling. The heads aretherefore hardened, but to a less extent I than the shanks. The headsare malleable enough that they do not splinteror chip when struck.

After the nails are suspended between the wires in the manner described,they are gradually pushed to the left because of the reciprocatingaction of the grid 49 in sup; plying nails to the wires. Each nailpushes the nail ahead of it and the grid forks push the last nail on thewires.

The purpose of the dogs 76 is to prevent ins any one nail from pushingtoo many nails ahead of it, as this would result in the nails becomingjammed on the wires. s the train of nails reaches the first set of dogs76, these dogs take up the pushing action and soon for the successivegroups of dogs.

By the time the nails reach the sloging portion 31 they are completelycooled, 0th '11] the. head and shank, the heads having cooled slowly,while the shanks cooled quick 3 The portion 31 causes the nail shanks torag and the head portions to be pushed over theedge 29, where theoverflow of quenching fluid is taking place. Suitable means are employedfor, disposing and gathering the nails.

' memes It will he noted from Fig. 1 'that interme' diate slides anduides 70 and 74 respec" tively are provided for SliPPOltlllg the reciprocating members 73. or convenience in cleaning the trough a sump 26 isprovided. for catching scale or dirt and the like. A cleanout 28 isprovided at the lower end of the sump 26.

It is evident that the operation is continuous! automatic as long asnails are sup plie to the retort 1 and heated therein After theoperation is once started the open in 21 of the retort need not bereclosed w en nails are charged in said retort because hot nails areused from the bottom of the retort as those at the upper end are heated.

In Fig. 6 is shown an enlarged section of a preferred form of the nailafter treatment. The unthreaded shank S is hard and the head portion His relatively malleable.

Q the restricted character of the opening 21,

results in nails being more or less equally distributed o er the widthof the shaker grid 49. This e ual distribution may be :-1c complished oren anced by auxiliary distributing means located between the mouth ofthe retort 1 and said shaker grid 49.

It is further to be understood that the number of wires 37 used is notlimited to the number of forked ortions 53 which are eniloyed. If thefor s are flared out sidewardy to a greater degree, it is possible tohave two or three wires run through each one This construction permitsof the placement of nails between the wires in the manner rlcscribed andalso will take care of any excess nails which may drop over the edge ofthe shaker grid without their sliding down the guides or tracks 59.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results at tained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructionswithout de parting from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter containedv in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as iilustrative and not in a.limiting sense.

I claim:

L The nail comprisin a cylindrical unthrcaded shank, a pointe portion atone end of said shank, said shank and said pointed portion beinghardened to such a degree as to penetrate hard material such as set concrete, Without bending, a head portion on the other end of said" shank,said head portion being malleable whereby breakage is prevented whenbiows are applied thereto for driving the shank into said material, saidhead portion being formed integrally'with said shank.

2 The one-piece nail comprising a shank having an unthrcadcd surface, apointed portion at one end of said she; it, said shank and said pointedportion being hardened to such a degree as to peneratc material such asset concrete, without bending, a' head. pen tion on the other end. ofsaid shank, said head portion being malleable whereby hrealn age isprevented when blows are applied thereto for driving the shank into saidmatcriai.

3. The oneiece nail comprising a, shank having an unt ireaded surface, apoint at one end of said shank and a driving head on the other endthereof, said nail being hard ened at least at said point and along;said shank to such a degree as to goenetrutehrate rial such as setconcrete, without bending the shank when blows are iippiifitii thereto;

4. The one piece nail wm irising a shank havin an unthrcuded surface. apoint at one end s:- said shank and a (wiring head on the other endthereof, said nail being hardened to such a degree as to penetratematerial such as set concrete, without bending the shank when blows areapplied thereto.

In testimony whereof, I. have signed my name to this spm-ification this28th day of January, 1927.

WILLIAM (l. ISAAGSON.

